Walter Reed study compares depression treatments

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) - The U.S. military's flagship medical center is evaluating a technology that could produce more effective anti-depression treatment for service members and veterans.

The California-based company CNS Response Inc. said Friday that Walter Reed National Military Medical Center will use its PEER Interactive technology in a study of 2,000 patients suffering from depression.

The technology enables doctors to compare a patient's brain scan with those of others in an online registry. The company says doctors can then make better treatment decisions based on the outcomes of other patients.

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland says the technology could help determine whether there's a relationship between increased use of anti-depressants and increased suicide rates among service members and veterans.